Leslie Jones Will Not Return to ‘Saturday Night Live’ This Fall

Saturday Night Livewill be missing one of its biggest stars when it returns to NBC for its 45th season.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Leslie Jones will depart the series after five years as a featured and repertory player. When she was promoted from writer to on-air talent in the fall of 2014, she became the oldest actor to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. (She was 47 at the time.)

According to EW, Jones is leaving SNL to work on a variety of film projects:

She will star with Chris Rock in the upcoming indie boxing drama I Am Maurice, and with Kristen Bell in the indie film Queenpins. She’s currently filming the Coming to America sequel Coming 2 America. Earlier this month, Jones announced that she also will headline a comedy special for Netflix that will premiere in 2020.

Jones has been an unforgettable presence, particularly on Weekend Update, since her debut; SNL will definitely miss the energy she brought to the show. In other SNL cast news, both Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon will be back for Season 45 when it premieres on September 28 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish.